Q. As Head of Assembly 12, what are you most looking forward to about this year’s Congress?
The ERS Congresses choose a specific topic each year – the official theme for this year is ‘Respiratory health around the globe’. I think this very nicely summarises one of the most important points in respiratory medicine, one that is just as important in the general global situation – bringing people, friends, colleagues together, trying to find common solutions in the management of respiratory diseases and to care together for global healthy lungs. This not only includes to understand differences and similarities in pulmonary diseases worldwide but also global threats to lungs like climate change, air pollution and others. But this topic also reflects that we as pulmonologists want to overcome and solve global challenges together and collaborate internationally – and to continue this international collaboration, to meet longstanding friends at the ERS Congress is to me one of the most enjoyable moments at the Congress.
Q. What in your opinion will be the hot topics for interstitial lung diseases?
With the advent of new diagnostic and therapeutic options in ILD this year, our field has once more advanced significantly. Moreover, at ERS some important new guidelines of our field will be published. Both – management and guidance are hot topics, but especially to not only discuss newest scientific data and guidelines is important, but especially the critical discussion of the associated controversies is of utmost importance.
Q. Tell us your top three picks from the congress programme.
My three favourites are “current controversies in ILD”, “lungs on fire in ILD” and the guideline session on the “ERS-EULAR guideline on CTD-ILD”. The latter will inform us on a very recent interdisciplinary guideline on the management of systemic disease associated ILDs, which is a great achievement not only for pulmonologists and rheumatologists but also for patients affected. Lungs on fire is one of the most interesting and interactive sessions at the conference – challenging to the people involved and very educational to the audience. However, as discussed above, newest guidelines, newest data are associated with new challenges and bring up new controversies – and within a scientific society, we need to discuss such data together, something a special hot topic session will be taking care of.
Q. As Early Career Representative of ERS Assembly 12, what are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?
I am particularly looking forward to the opportunity of meeting colleagues and collaborators in person again, and there’s no better setting than the beautiful city of Amsterdam. The Congress theme, “Respiratory health around the globe,” perfectly reflects the international spirit of ERS and Assembly 12. It will be inspiring to share ideas and learn from global perspectives on respiratory diseases, all while fostering connections that transcend borders.
Q. In your opinion, what will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 12 during the ERS Congress?
For Early Career Members, the Assembly 12 poster sessions are truly not to be missed. They are a fantastic opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with peers and senior experts alike, in a more informal and approachable setting. Additionally, we are planning a social event during the Congress — details will be shared soon via email — which will provide an excellent platform for networking and strengthening our ECM community within Assembly 12.
Q. With this in mind, please tell us your top three session or abstract picks from the congress programme and why?
It is challenging to select only three sessions given the high-quality programme, but here are my top picks:
Sunday – Hot Topics: Current Controversies in Interstitial Lung Diseases: This session promises lively discussions on the latest debates in ILD, providing valuable insights into evolving clinical practice.
Monday – Lungs on Fire: Interstitial Lung Diseases: A dynamic and engaging session designed to challenge clinical reasoning through complex and illustrative ILD cases.
Tuesday – Symposium: Interstitial Lung Diseases Around the World: This symposium will offer a global perspective on ILD, highlighting regional differences, challenges, and collaborative efforts in advancing care worldwide.